Skip to main content Skip to footer
Trees and fountain in courtyard

Withdrawals

SVSU recognizes three types of withdrawals: course, medical and permanent. A course withdrawal is when a student drops a class after the last day of late registration. A medical withdrawal is generally temporary and is in response to a student's medical necessity. A permanent withdrawal is when a student departs from SVSU with no intention of returning. There is a process for each type of withdrawal, largely to ensure that the students leaving for medical or permanent withdrawals are not only departing for healthy reasons but that they leave on the best terms and with a complete understanding of any, and all, of the potential financial and long term ramifications of their decision.

Withdrawal is an act of removing oneself from something or somewhere. SVSU recognizes three forms of academically acceptable withdrawals:

  • Course Withdrawal: A student's removal from a specific class after the last day of late registration.
  • Medical Withdrawal: A student's removal due to extraordinary circumstances in which a student suffers from a physical, emotional or psychological condition that significantly impairs their ability to safely and successfully participate in educational activities.
  • Permanent Withdrawal: A student's permanent removal from Saginaw Valley State University, to which they formally discontinue their enrollment at the institution and are stripped of any affiliated status. 

You can fill out the electronic form through your MySVSU account (click on the "Students" tab and then Dynamic Forms) or you can click here.

You will need to authenticate (MFA) in order to sign in. 


Course Drops & Withdrawals

Students who would like to participate in a course drop or withdrawal must do so formally through the Office of the Registrar. A course drop is when a student drops a class before or on the last day of late registration. A course withdrawal is when the student drops a class after that date. It is the student’s responsibility to officially withdraw from a course within the deadlines posted on the Important Dates Calendar. A student not attending class or telling a professor about their intention to withdraw will not substitute for this obligation.

If you have any financial aid or loans, we recommend you talking to Campus Financial Services Center at cfsc@svsu.edu before you make your official withdrawal request. 

Withdrawals after the no refund date are possible until the end of the withdrawal period. After the close of the withdrawal window, instructors will assign grades as appropriate at the end of the semester.


Also, please note that if a course withdrawal results in a course schedule that is less than 12 credits, your financial aid will likely be affected. If this is the case, and you are receiving financial aid, please confer with the Campus Financial Services Center before withdrawing from any classes: 964-4900 or cfsc@svsu.edu.


There are many potential implications of a course drop or withdrawal. These are some of the more frequent repercussions: 

  • A student may have to repeat the course.
  • If the student dropped or withdrew from a class that was a pre-requisite to a later course, they will be unable to participate in that later course until their pre-requisite has been met.
  • Financial aid may be adjusted as well as a student's time to attaining their degree. 

Courses can only be dropped online or in-person for a 100% refund until the last business day of Late Registration (last day of the first week of classes). Partial refunds for course withdrawals are available early in the semester and result in a ‘W’ grade. The withdrawal process involving refunds must take place in person and be completed at the counter of the Office of the Registrar. Please reference IMPORTANT DATES CALENDAR for these specific dates. Financial refunds are not available after the last day to withdraw with a 25% refund.


The dates will be shorter during the Spring and Summer semesters. Please reference the Important Dates Calendar for the specific date.


You can fill out the electronic form through your MySVSU account (click on the "Students" tab and then Dynamic Forms) or you can click here.

You will need to authenticate (MFA) in order to sign in. 

If you have any financial aid or loans, it is recommended that you speak to Campus Financial Services Center (cfsc@svsu.edu) before you make the official withdrawal request. 


Medical Withdrawals and Hardship Appeals

SVSU is committed to maintaining a healthy, safe and supportive environment for all students. A medical withdrawal may be requested in extraordinary circumstances in which a student suffers from a physical, emotional or psychological condition that significantly impairs their ability to safely and successfully participate in educational activities. Students interested in submitting a formal medical withdrawal request must be able to provide official medical documentation to ensure that the best decision is made in regards to their overall welfare. If a student has any further questions or concerns regarding medical withdrawals, they may reach out to the Office of the Registrar.

Procedures:

Students seeking special consideration for a medical withdrawal must:

  1. Complete the Course Withdrawal From for all registered course(s) and submit to the Office of the Registrar.
  2. Ensure the submission of the Health Care Provider Medical Withdrawal Verification Form (267KB) .
  3. Direct a written request to the Associate Registrar or the designated Committee Chair that explains the circumstances.

A representative of the student may submit these documents on the student’s behalf.

A medical withdraw can be requested if you are ill or physically unable to attend SVSU as a student. To make the request, which will involve a withdrawal from courses and a possible prorated tuition refund, please download and submit the Health Care Provider Medical Withdrawal Verification Form (267KB)   

Official medical documentation (on letterhead with a Doctor's signature) must be attached with the application. Please deliver to the Office of the Registrar and the materials will be reviewed by the medical withdrawal committee. If you have any questions please contact the Associate Registrar and Chair of the Medical Withdrawal Committee at registrar@svsu.edu or 989-964-4085.

Refunds are granted for one semester only.  Application for a medical withdrawal and/or tuition refund must be submitted no later than one semester after the date the student was incapacitated.

 


Healthcare Provider Medical Withdrawal Verification (PDF)

Permanent Withdrawals From the University

An SVSU student that would like to leave the university in good standing must inform the Office of the Registrar of their intention and complete the Student Withdraw Checklist. If the student does not provide proper notice to the Office of the Registrar, their collegiate courses may continue to reflect that of a non-participatory but enrolled student which may result in failing or unsatisfactory grades listed on their transcript.

If a student is considering a complete withdrawal, they must inform the Office of the Registrar of their intention. From there, the student will be referred to the Campus Financial Services Center and the Academic Advising Center to discuss the consequences of this decision. Also, other offices might need to be informed, including Housing. Please see the checklist link below. 

Important: This is separate from a Medical Withdrawal.  

Withdrawing from the University (365KB)  

 


Although there are a wide variety of reasons for potential students to permanently withdrawal, the usual reasons are:

  • A student's desire to transfer to another higher-learning institution.
  • A student's plan to take a break from academia.
  • A student's decision to leave the university without a definitive plan to return.

Hardship Policy

If a student makes a retroactive claim to have dropped or withdrawn from a class, but there is no official record of this, then the claim will go to a Withdrawal Committee comprised of both Registrar and Financial Services staff for review and decision. If any tuition refund is an issue in the claim, an appeal of the Committee's decision can be sent to University Controller, Division of Administration and Business Affairs. 

CONTACT US.






Office of the Registrar
Wickes 151
registrar@svsu.edu
(989) 964-4085